Senecio plant named ‘Sunsenehobume’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Senecio  plant named ‘Sunsenehobume’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; and large daisy-type inflorescences with white-colored ray florets with light purple violet-colored apices and darker violet-colored disc florets.

Botanical designation: Senecio cruentus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNSENEHOBUME’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Senecio plant, botanically known as Senecio cruentus, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunsenehobume’.

The new Senecio plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new upright and uniformly mounding Senecio plants with numerous attractive and large inflorescences.

The new Senecio plant originated from a cross pollination conducted by the Inventor in March, 2008 of a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code number 07-21, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus identified as code number 07-18, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Senecio plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in February, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Senecio plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since February, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Senecio plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Senecio have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsenehobume’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunsenehobume’ as a new and distinct Senecio plant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large daisy-type inflorescences with white-colored ray         florets with light purple violet-colored apices and darker         violet-colored disc florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio are more freely branching than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio have larger inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Senecio and the female parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the female parent         selection have yellowish white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Senecio differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio have larger inflorescences than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio and the male parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent         selection have pale pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Senecio can be compared to plants of Senecio cruentus×Senecio heritieri ‘Sunsenesopi’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,199. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Senecio differed from plants of ‘Sunsenesopi’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Senecio were larger than and not as upright         as plants of ‘Sunsenesopi’.     -   2. Plants of the new Senecio had larger and darker green-colored         leaves than plants of ‘Sunsenesopi’.     -   3. Plants of the new Senecio were more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Sunsenesopi’.     -   4. Plants of the new Senecio had larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Sunsenesopi’.     -   5. Plants of the new Senecio and ‘Sunsenesopi’ differed in ray         floret color as plants of ‘Sunsenesopi’ had light pink-colored         ray florets.     -   6. Plants of the new Senecio and ‘Sunsenesopi’ differed in disc         floret color as plants of ‘Sunsenesopi’ had light violet to         white-colored disc florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Senecio plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Senecio plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsenehobume’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsenehobume’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the winter and early spring in 15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Senecio production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 10° C. and night temperatures averaged 5° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were six months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Senecio cruentus ‘Sunsenehobume’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code number 07-21, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Senecio             cruentus identified as code number 07-18, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About one week at             temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About four weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 20°             C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright and uniformly mounded             plant habit; daisy-type inflorescences positioned above the             foliar plane; freely branching habit with about ten lateral             branches developing per plant; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 28.6 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 34.5 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 22 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 2.4 cm. Aspect: Upright to             semi-upright. Texture: Tomentose. Color: Close to 138B; at             the nodes, close to N186B.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 5 cm. Width: About 6.8 cm. Shape: Cordate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Palmately lobed; shallowly             dentate; slightly undulate. Texture, upper surface: Sparsely             pubescent; coarse. Texture, lower surface: Tomentose;             coarse. Venation pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color:             Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A; venation,             close to 138A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             N155A; venation, close to N79A. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to N137B; venation, close to 138B and tinted             towards the base with close to N79B. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 192D; venation, close to 138C and             148B. Petioles: Length: About 5.6 cm. Diameter: About             2.2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Tomentose. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138B some tinted with             close to N79B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Large daisy-type inflorescences with narrowly             elliptic-shaped ray florets; inflorescences arising from             upper leaf axils and positioned above the foliar plane; disc             and ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum;             inflorescences face upright and outwardly; freely flowering             habit with about 100 inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Senecio begin             flowering about 22 weeks after planting; plants flower             continuously from winter to late spring in Japan.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two weeks             on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 7.8 mm. Diameter: About             6.3 mm. Shape: Globose. Color: Close to 187A; towards the             apex, close to 143B and 182A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.3 cm. Depth (height):             About 9.2 mm.. Disc diameter: About 1.3 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2.7 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Shape:             Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Praemorse. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 13 in             a single whorl. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             NN155B; towards the apex, close to N82A. When opening, lower             surface: Close to NN155B; towards the apex, close to N82B.             Fully opened, upper surface: Close to NN155B; towards the             apex, close to N82C. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to             NN155B; towards the apex, close to N82D.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 7.3 mm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm. Number of disc             floret per inflorescence: About 140 massed at the center.             Color, immature: Close to 86A. Color, mature: Close to 86B.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 14 in a single             whorl and fused at the base. Length: About 8.8 mm. Width:             About 2.1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper surface: Close to 138A tinted with close to             200A. Color, lower surface: Close to 138B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 cm to 6 cm. Diameter: About             2.3 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to semi-upright.             Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to N77A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to             N186B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 13A.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Stigma             shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to N92A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Senecio. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Senecio have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Senecio     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Senecio have been observed     to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Senecio plant named ‘Sunsenehobume’ as illustrated and described. 